Mail-bag catcher.



F. J. GRATE.

MAIL BAG CATCHER.

APPLICATION man APR. 14. ms.

1 1 99,46 1 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

FREDERICK J. GRATE, OF GREENFIELD, OHIO.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed April 14, 1915. Serial No. 21,387. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. GRATE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Greenfield, in the county ofHighland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mail Catchers, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved mail bag catcher, and has for itsprimary object to provide an improved construction of catcher arm which.is carried by the car, whereby a mail bag may be moved in a crane orhanger mounted at one side of the track.

The invention has for another and more particular object to provide amail bag catcher of the above type, which will, without fail, remove thebag from the crane and retain the same in position so that the bag maybe removed from the arm by the mail clerk.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide a very simplyconstructed catching arm which is capable of withstanding severe usage,to which such devices are subjected.

lVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail catching arm constructed inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention and showing thesame in the act of removing a bag from the crane arm; and Fig. 2 is anenlarged plan view of the device, partly in section.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the rod or rock shaftwhich issuitably journaled at its ends in bearings fixed upon the sideposts of the door opening in the car wall in the usual manner. Upon thisrock shaft, at a point intermediate of its ends, the sleeve 6 is rigidlyfixed, said sleeve having a projection 7 formed on one end extendinglongitudinally along the shaft 5 and in engagement therewith. This endof the sleeve 6 is also formed with an elongated curved arm 8 whichextends in divergent relation to the rock shaft 5 and has an outwardlycurved extremity terminating in a cylindrical enlargement indicated at9,

Upon the extension 7 of the sleeve 6, one

end of a heavy leaf spring 10 is secured by means of the screw or bolt11, said spring extending in convergent relation to the arm 8. The freeend of this spring 10 is inwardly curved toward the shaft 5, as shown at12, and also has a cylindrically-formed terminal 13. The space betweenthe nearest point of approach of this spring 10 to the rigid arm 8,defines the entrance throat 14 which receives the medial or centralportion of the mail bag, indicated at B.

To the sleeve 6, and on the opposite side thereof with respect to therigid outwardly extending arm 8, a rod 15 is fixed at one of 7 its ends,the other end of said rod being provided with a weight element 16 whichmay be either of Wood or metal. Upon the rock shaft 5, a suitable handgrip 17 is provided, whereby said shaft may be turned or rotated in itsbearings to dispose the catcher arm in position to receive a mail bag.

In the use of the invention, it will be understood that the catcher armis so mounted within the door opening that the rigid arm 12 is normallydisposed in a vertical plane within said opening by the gravity actionof the weight 16. When it is desired to dispose the catcher arm inposition for operation, the shaft 5 is turned until the arm 8 isdisposed in a horizontal position and extends outwardly from the dooropening, said shaft being held against further turning movement by anysuitable looking or latch device. As the car approaches the station, thecontracted central portion of the mail bag B which has been properlyarranged upon the crane, is received in the throat l4 and the impact ofthe bag forces the leaf spring 10 inwardly toward the car wall soas topermit of the entrance of the bag into the space between the inner endof the rigid arm 8 and the relatively stifi fixed end of the spring 10.Said spring, upon returning to its normal position, effectively closesupon the bag and holds the same upon the arm. By now releasing the shaft5, the weight 16 gravitates downwardly so that the bag will be carriedby the arm 8 inwardly into the door opening in convenient position to beremoved by the mail clerk.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the construction, manner of operation, and severaladvantages of my invention Will be cle y and tally nders o d- 7 It willbe seen that I have produced a very simple, effective and reliable, andalso durable mail catching arm which is exceedingly serviceable andconvenient in actual use and will remove the bag from the supportingframe without, in any way, injuring the same or the mail mattercontained therein.

Owing to the very simple construction of the device, it will be seenthat the same is well adapted to withstand the severe usage to whichsuch catching arms are ordinarily subjected.

lVhile I have shown, in the accompanying drawing, a particular form ofthe rigid catching arm and the yieldable spring plate which isassociated therewith, it will, of course, be apparent that thesestructural features of the invention are necessarily sub ject to variousminor changes in form and proportion, owing to the particularcircumstances encountered in the use of the invention. It will,therefore, be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting toall such legitimate changes in the form, proportion and arrangement ofthe several parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scopeof the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim andsecure by Letters Patent is The herein described mail bag catcherincluding a rock shaft, a sleeve fixed upon said shaft, a rigid catcherarm integrally formed at one of its ends upon the medial portion of thesleeve, and a spring arm fixed at one end to said sleeve and extendingtherefrom in convergent relation to the rigid catcher arm, the free endof said spring arm being normally disposed in contiguous spaced relationto said rigid arm, ,to provide a narrow entrance forthe mail bag, thefree end portions of said arms being longitudinally curved in relativeopposite directions to direct the mail bag into said entrance.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo wltnesses.

FRED. J. GRA'IE.

lVitnesses JOHN :L. STRANGE, JAs. R. BUCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0:

